Page 28 of No Ordinary Love

"Yep. You know what they say?"

I tilted my head, amused. "What do they say?"

"That for men, sex is like pizza; even when it's a day old and cold, it's a slice, and we're game."

I licked my lips and straightened. "Kiss me."

Jax quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Stop looking like you're walking into a war zone, darlin'; it's hurting my fragile ego."

I rolled my eyes. "Bud, your ego is monumental and not frail at all."

He leaned, cupped my check, and drew me to him. He gently placed his lips over mine. I could taste the martini he'd just had and the cigar he'd smoked.

"Open for me, Amara," he growled softly, and I did as he asked. My heart thundered. I was anxious. Nervous. This was the first time I was kissing someone who wasn't Lucas in over three years.

He kissed like a dream. His technique was ten out of ten. His hands moved over my body, and it felt damn good to be touched.

I was slightly breathless when he lifted his head.

"Fuck, you're sexy, Amara. I can see what you'd look like when I make you come," he whispered, stroking a cheek.

I licked my lips, feeling like an ass. As good as the kiss had been, all I wanted right now was to burst into tears. I'd kissed a man who wasn't Lucas, and it felt like cheating.

Jax kissed my nose and smiled, that easy, confident smile that I had become familiar with. "Darlin', you're not ready."

Tears filled my eyes. "When will I be ready?"

He shrugged. "I'm still waiting as well. Someone broke my heart a long while ago, and…sure, I've fucked since then, dated casually, but it always feels like I'm steppin' out on her."

"We make quite a pair," I sniffled.

"How about we can the serious talk and go have dinner, drink some more, maybe dance and have a good time?"

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the room in a warm, golden glow, I realized something important: I didn'thave to have all the answers right now. And that was the most freeing thing of all.

"Yeah, let's have a good time," I agreed.

We arrived at the beachfront party to the sounds of laughter and music filling the night air. Waves crashed softly in the background while guests mingled under a sky full of stars. Tiki torches lined the sand, casting a warm, inviting glow.

I was looking forward to a carefree evening but that idea evaporated the moment I spotted Flynn and Shelby across the sand. I'd known they would be here—Jax had mentioned it earlier—but seeing them now, in the flesh, hit me like a blow to the chest. Flynn stood with a drink in hand, his usual smirk firmly in place, while Shelby looked polished, her gaze cutting through the crowd like a knife.

Jax squeezed my hand, sensing my unease. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Not gonna let them ruin my fabulous weekend."

We hung out with Jax's friends, but I knew that we'd ultimately have to talk to Shelby and Flynn. After all, Jax knew the families and Rena was almost like a godmother to him.

Jax squeezed my shoulder as they made their way over, and I tried to brace myself for whatever barbs Shelby and Flynn had prepared. They'd never been kind to me—Shelby with her condescending comments and Flynn with his sleazy advances—but tonight, I felt particularly vulnerable. Maybe it was because I'd allowed myself to believe, even for a moment, that I was moving on and realized, to my embarrassment, that I wasn't ready. Just because Lucas didn't love me hadn't reduced my affection for him, which was a shame.

"Amara," Shelby called out as they approached, her voice oozing with false sweetness. "What a surprise to see you here. I didn't realize you and Jax werestill…an item."

"Amara was kind to accompany me for this golf tournament," Jax interjected coolly.

Flynn grinned, that smug, knowing grin that made me want to slap it off his face. "Well, well, well. Look at you, Amara. Moving up in the world, aren't you? Jax is a hell of a catch. He's no Covington, obviously, but definitely up there, yeah?"

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